To Be Saved By The Heart
by uhnope
Summary: Now a Two-Shot. When Fumu suffers from a critical case of pneumonia, Meta Knight realizes that he cannot bear to let her die. Meta KnightXFumu.
1. Chapter 1: Emotions

I do not own these characters.

Shafts of silent sunshine filtered earthward and spangled on the edges of the castle walls, brimming them with the early spring light. All around, the land was bathed in the comfortable, watery light that seemed to cascade down like a soundless waterfall. Minors were littered all around the small village, playing in the sunshine pool. A pleasant wind shifted by them and carried their shrieks of delight into the air above, perfecting the April scene. It was a thing of beauty, this day, this season that filled everyone with a happiness so pure it was indescribable. However, it would be false to say that every person here was happy. No, there was one who was lost in a state of feelings of everything save for joy.

The small blue knight stood guard in the hallways of Castle Dedede, submerged in a sea of personal thoughts and concerns that droned out the merry April mood. He simply did not know what was wrong. Sure, it had been nearly a year since the defeat of Nightmare, and there appeared to be no sign of any other upcoming trouble, so what was the problem? It was not a problem with the world, but within the walls of the castle. It was a certain person, and to be more specific, it was Fumu. Ever since the fall of Nightmare, she was always on the edges of his mind, if not the main thought. Her laughter had started to sound louder to Meta Knight, and more song-like, and her figure more appealing to the eye. Her voice and eyes standing out much more than anyone else's. He just was not sure why. Whenever the blonde girl wound stride through the hallways, Meta Knight's gaze automatically shifted to her, and wouldn't tear away unless she was out of sight. He was filled with such strange emotions whenever she was near, emotions without names he did not want. He would try to banish the feelings as soon as they appeared.

There was something else too. Concern, for Fumu. No one else had noticed the extra drag in her pace when she walked, the dulling in her eyes, the dim atmosphere that surrounded her. Meta Knight had noticed, and the concern came and stuck to his mind, reluctant to leave. Such thoughts were echoeing in his conscious now, and he tried to fight them off, when suddenly Fumu appeared at the end of the hall, coming down toward her residence at the other end. Her feet shuffled on the ground, and she appeared more gray than blonde. Meta Knight watched her carefully as she shuffled by, and the unwanted feelings crashed back. The girl passed him without acknowledging him, or anything for that matter. Her eyes were blank, and she appeared unaware of any action she was executing. She stopped suddenly, stumbling slightly as if unexpecting the halt. The knight blinked curiously, and readied to call out to Fumu, when suddenly he saw her sway on her feet. Alarmed, Meta Knight swept toward her just in time for her lithe body, unusually warm, fell into his arms. Her eyes were fluttering and then shut.

For a minute, the world's rotation could be felt. Stars shone in the sunlight. The air was gone. Meta Knight stared into the damsel's face, startlingly pale but serene, peaceful. Her body leaning on his, her eyes easily seen despite the fact they were closed. It was a moment of sheer pleasure, and Meta Knight felt he wouldn't be able to move from this position if he could. He stared at Fumu's face again and blinked. What am I doing? He was holding a swooned girl, who was obviously in poor health. He would not stand there and stare awe-struck. The knight quickly whisked Fumu to her home, without looking at her face again.

Upon delivering the girl to her parents, they immeadiatly called for the doctor, who came and reported that Fumu had pneumonia. A very bad case at that. Lethal, and he had said her chances of survival were slim. Worst of all, Meta Knight heard this all, and as the words clarified in his mind he felt a terrible feeling. As if a serrated blade were being driven into his chest. He retired to his room, and stood on the balcony, wrapped up in his cape and overlooking the village below. The sun began to set, and the children were being rounded up and herded to their homes. Meta Knight closed his eyes being his mask. Fumu, dying? Could that have been a mistake, a lie? It had to be. There was no possible way for Fumu to be dying. This was not real. It _was not_ true. Heat flared in Meta Knight's face, it began to feel damp under his eyes. A sob escaped him, and once again those unwanted feelings came back. The nameless emotions he did not want, was not allowed to feel. He was just concerned, sad for another friend in his life who would soon be dead. He would have felt the same had it been anyone else in Fumu's postion...

Was that right? Would he truely, really be so distraught if, say, Kirby were dying right now, instead of Fumu? He tried to imagine Kirby in Fumu's place, and still felt sad, even a little guilty of secretly wishing his apprentice was in Fumu's place instead of Fumu. Why was Fumu so special? Why did she light up his day with just one smile? No one else but her had such an effect on the usually coldhearted puffball knight. He was never usually very happy, or very sad, or very-any-emotion. It was always neutrality, calm and cool. Never any extreme emotions. Meta Knight did not want these very-emotions. He wanted them gone, banished so he would no longer be tormented by them, and can be peaceful again. He wished somewhat that these feelings were live creatures that he could just kill to get them away from him. But wishing for the impossible was a pointless exertion of energy. He would have to confront them, however, like he was confronting an enemy. Find out what these emotions were and what they wanted from him.

It was almost a magnetic-like feel when he was near Fumu, the urge to be close to her and hear her lovely voice_, _just to fall under her spell. He had always tried to ignore it, to push it away and not have to deal with it. Now, what do you call that...feeling that makes a person seem extraspecial to you, to want to be right next to them all the time, and the fact that every feature to that person wa unique and appealed directly to you? It was, yes...affection, _love._ Meta Knight loved Fumu. Those unknown emotions now had a name. But giving them names did not change the damning fact that the knight _did not want_ these feelings. He was forbidden to them. But was he really? Up until nearly a year ago, his first priority was mentoring the young Star Warrior Kirby, to prepare him for his battle with Nightmare. Now that Nightmare was gone...all there was really left to do was to guard the castle, expect immenent danger that would most likely never come...there was really nothing. He wasn't allowed to do nothing. He _could_ feel love, love toward Fumu. He could but...it just seemed so...unfitting, unreal, not right. Fumu was a beautiful, charming, determined, caring young lady. Meta Knight was a solitary, unknown, coldhearted, mysterious...puffball. How could _he_ and _Fumu_ ever work out?

It was just as the moon rose high in the April night sky that Meta Knight took a course of action that halted all thoughts in the process. He wasn't sure what was compelling him then, but suddenly he let his cape drop from around him, and take the form of wings. The two long bat wings extended on either side of him, and he lifted off in one downstroke, with his mind still inactive. The wind carried him gently around the castle's perimeter, and he let it guide him straight up to Fumu's window. He landed gently on the windowsill, and stared inside, his amber eyes reflecting on the glass. Fumu was alseep in her bed, the covers tucked up to her chin. She was very still. Meta Knight felt the magnetic-like force again and carefully placed one paw on the window, pushing open without a sound. He slipped inside, and closed it up behind to keep the chill out. With inaudible footsteps, he crept up to Fumu's bedside, watching her still form with a growing dread that she had passed away in her sleep. But the faint stirring of her chest as she breathed raspy breaths indicated her life, and the knight felt relief.

He watched Fumu sleep for a few minutes when suddenly she twitched, making his lulled attention snap back to full awareness. She began to tremble, and rolled over on one side. She shook again and rolled over, whimpering softly in her sleep. She was having a nightmare, and while she thrashed, her breathing began to sound tighter, shallower, as if death itself were trying to drag the distressed damsel kicking and screaming into Hades. Meta Knight could not stand to see his beloved locked in her uncomfotable fever dreams, and he grabbed her hand. She ceased thrashing, but still trembled violently, and cried in discomfort. Meta Knight's other paw found purchase on her face, stroking her gently down the side of her dampened forehead, down her cheek, repeating the soothing caressing gensture until her shaking stopped, her breathing evened, and she appeared at ease. Meta Knight, however, continued to pet Fumu gently, getting her as far away from those terrible dreams as possible.

He heard her voice, hoarse and creaky, "Water..." At first, he didn't hear it. Her voice had startled him, making him think someone had caught him in here with Fumu. Realizing it was her voice, he listened for it again, "...W-water...I need..." she whispered, giving Meta Knight's paw a weak squeeze, making his own face heat up suddenly. "Water," he said to himself, reluctantly taking his hands away from Fumu. Backing away until he was flying out of the room again, returning within five minutes with a glass of icy water. He took his previous position by her bed again and slipped an arm under the girl's head, elevating slightly while he tipped the glass against her mouth. Fumu's hands joined his on the glass, as she drank a bit before pulling away. Meta Knight put the glass on her bedside table and wiped away the rivulets of water that had streamed from the corners of her mouth. He held her hand again.

Meta Knight heard Fumu's voice again, shortly after taking her hand, "Cold..." she whimpered, squirming a bit under her sheets, "So...cold..." she murmured againd, and rolled over, her other hand grabbing Meta Knight's. Meta Knight took his free paw and placed it gently over Fumu's forehead, which still felt quite hot and damp from persperation. Despite that, she was shivering visibly. Meta Knight could not see any other extra blankets in the room, so he tried something he both did and did not want to do. He climbed up on the edge of the bed, one arm around Fumu's shoulders as he drew her up close to him. She leaned on his shoulder and he pulled her sheets over her and draped his cape around her, pulling her close to his body. "I'm here." he whispered to her softly. A smile suddenly spread across her face while she slept against him. Her hand grabbed his paw, "You saved me." she murmured, her eyes half opening. Meta Knight looked alarmed suddenly, not realizing he only wanted to check on Fumu without anyone, escpecially Fumu, seeing him. Was she delierious, and would not know he had been here? Or did she really know he was here and...wanted him here? His face flushed under his mask as she cuddled closer. Not even fate could stop what happened next. Meta Knight's paw had unconsiously loosened the straps on his mask, and fell away from his face. He moved it out of his way, turned to Fumu, leaned in and just as he was about to land a kiss on her cheek, she tilted her own head back, her lips meeting his. Her warm arms hugged him, and his hugged her, each holding each other as close as could be to each other. Once again, the world's rotation was felt, stars blazed in the dawn, and there was no oxygen.

It felt like long, pleasant hours since the kiss had started, and now they were both pulling away, and white eyes suddenly met blue eyes. Meta Knight started into her crystal blue irises in a moment of pure relaxation, and acceptance of the feelings that washed over him now. He _did_ love Fumu. He loved her so very, very much. And she loved him right back. Meta Knight had never wanted such extreme emotions, but now he welcomed them, but still cautioned his conscious not to express them verbally. Fumu smiled at him, "You've saved me," she murmured, and pulled away from him, lying back down on the bed and falling back into a sleep. Meta Knight blinked, and reached for his mask, fastening it back on. He stared at Fumu's sleeping form a moment longer, and then exited the room, flying away into the dawn. Fumu opened her eyes a bit to see those elegant dark wings printed against the rising sun in her window. And, she saw the figure bearing those wings suddenly flip midair, and trace a heart-shape with his wing-tips before disappearing. Fumu smiled warmly, and closed her eyes.

Three days later, the fever broke, and a week later, Fumu was able to walk around her house, but was kept inside until her parents were sure the pneumonia was truely gone. Her family, the doctor, everyone had been astonished at her fast recovery, considering the fact she had been presumed to die the night Meta Knight came to her room. She never told them about his visit, of course, but answered vaguely, "I guess there's an angel watching out for me."

However, a few days after Fumu had fully recovered, the doctor had been called for again. Meta Knight had Fumu's virus, though not as lethal as she had been.

One night, Meta Knight had awoken several times from uncomfotable, fever-induced nightmares to find a glass of ice water on his bedside table. Often times while he slept through the midst of a nightmare, a hand would stroke his face, uncovered by a mask. The touch was like acid to the dreams, and would sleep more peacefully. He even found himself wreathed in blankets he had seen on Fumu's bed. One dawn, he had half-awoken from a sleep, to see Fumu, right before he felt her gentle kiss on his cheek. And, just like Fumu, he recovered much earlier than presumed to, much to everyone's bafflement.

Well, it seems love can conquer almost all obstacles.


	2. Chapter 2: Embrace

_H.V: Oh my, it appears I am turning this One-shot into a Two-shot. I got the idea to add this chappie while laying in bed staring at the ceiling. My ceiling has a lot of inspiration._

_Here we go, and hopefully this one won't be too boring..._

...

It had been a week since the pneumonia had left the castle completely. While her world gradually got under way, Fumu allowed herself some time to think things through.

It was a night much like that fatefull one she would have forever sealed into her mind. Only instead of her body fighting for life, she was staring into the ceiling calmly. Her mind was undergoing a stream of thoughts that were focused mainly on that memorable night.

While half of her mind struggled with the fact of how close she had come to losing her life, sending a frightened chill through her each time she repeated it, the other part was pondering over what had happened...

The head knight of the castle had come to her in the night, her night of suffering...and saved her. A dark-winged guardian angel...it was as if.

Fumu sighed and rolled onto one side. The events of that night were foggy from the delirium at the time, but she remembered that he had slipped in, unnoticed by all except her. She had been so close to being dragged away from the world of the living, and he had pulled her away from death...now that her head felt a little clearer, she wondered for the first time since that night why he would do that.

Sensibly thinking, Fumu wondered why Meta Knight would care about her at all. He had never shown much interest in her before, so why all the sudden affection? If anything, the knight seemed not to be too concerned with her dying at that time. He, unlike the rest of her loved ones, had never come to stay with her _during the day._ Why suddenly care at her seemingly final hour? Why come at night, in all secrecy?

Fumu felt her eyes grow tired, and they shut, closing down her thoughts along with it.

...

All night, her dreams were laced with the shadows of the mysterious knight who had saved her at her time of greatest need. Thinning the fabrics of her sleep, Fumu found herself waking up much too early in the morning, and feeling just as tired as she had when she had gone to sleep.

Giving up on trying to fall back asleep, the blonde damsel swung herself out of bed, quietly wandering out of her residence and through the hallways.

Her mind, blank with weariness, dredged the memories of her near-death expierience back to her focus. She rubbed an eye as she stepped along, dislodging the sleepies that had formed on her eyelids. The early spring morning was brisk, but not cold, and carried a sweet scent on the breeze. The air felt damp, however, with the approach of April showers. Fumu allowed a yawn to weave its way into the air. Her echoeing footsteps sounded faintly through the hallway.

Realization washed over the girl a few feet later. It was that place, wasn't it, where she had collapsed? Fumu paused, recalling dimly this corridor she had trudged through weeks ago. She had blacked out...she remembered a prescence here last she recalled. Who had it been? She was frustratingly on the brink of remembering, but her mind would not supply her with the memory of whom.

Fumu sighed, recalling the incident darkly. She decided to go home, turned around, when a second set of footsteps echoed in the hallways,

"You're up early." a voice, all-too-familiar, commented. Fumu turned back around. There, facing her on the other end of the hall, was the masked knight.

Her savior.

Fumu nodded, nervously forcing down the apprehension in her throat, "Couldn't sleep..." she replied hesitantly, memories of that romantic night flashing over her eyes between her words. Meta Knight did not reply, but Fumu saw his amber gaze travel the area, as if he too was recalling the scene that had occurred here weeks ago.

"Why...?" Fumu blinked. She had begun to ask something, but shut her mouth almost immeadiately, fearing a half-thought question would escape unwillingly. Meta Knight looked at her,

"Why what?" he asked. Fumu's gaze fell to the floor, silent. She never intended to say anything. She never didn't want to confront him now, when she was still confused about what had happened...Fumu felt her palms grow damp, and her apprehension was growing like a possessed ivy,

"Why did you..." she sighed, "...save me...?"

The dark blue knight kept his golden gaze on her a moment longer. The mask shielded his expression, making it impossible to decipher his thoughts. Fumu thought he saw his eyes shimmer pale blue. Meta Knight turned away, "I couldn't let you die." he said neutrally, quietly. Fumu blinked. She wiped the perspiration off of her hands against her shirt, and responded carefully,

"Why do you suddenly...care?" she asked, hoping not to sound too harsh. She was firm, however, needing an answer to her question. Meta Knight turned back to her,

"It wasn't sudden." he replied. Fumu stepped toward him,

"What do you mean?" she asked softly. The swordsman's seemingly cold gaze never left her eyes,

"It has been a while..." he replied vaguely. Fumu found frustration creeping into her voice,

"What has been a while?" she demanded. Meta Knight edged closer to her,

"Since you have captured me." he said. Fumu fell silent, and he went on, "You...everything about you...has started to run my life...You walk in my dreams, Fumu." he said, sounding most un-like himself.

Fumu blinked, surprised she was hearing such talk from the normally silent and solitary puff. He was usually so guarded about everything...was it only because he was talking to Fumu that he would reveal such emotions?

"I..." Fumu murmured. Meta Knight came even closer,

"...You torment my sleep with your beautiful voice, and you haunt my thoughts everyday...Fumu...you are my dreams..." he whispered. Fumu was truely taken aback,

"But...I..." she stammered. What would she say? What did she feel? Was the feeling mutual or not? The dawn blurred in her eyes, and her tangled emotions barred her thoughts. She couldn't think straight...was it out of simple confusion or a hidden joy over this revelation. Why joy? Did she have feelings for Meta Knight as well?

Fumu felt warmth well up inside her. Her eyes stung. She pulled a fist across one eye, hiding any oncoming tears, "I just..." she murmured, "Thought you never cared...about me..."

She felt his paw weave into her hand, "I have never cared more..." Meta Knight sighed, "If you had gone...life would be but an empty shadow...to me..."

Fumu inhaled shakily, touched beyond words by his revelation. She understood faintly that the knight would have never admitted as much to anyone else...she was special to him, the one he had chosen. She squeezed his paw, "I will never...leave you." she murmured. Meta Knight drew closer to her,

"I will always protect you...Fumu." he breathed. Fumu let the tears rain from her eyes. _My guardian angel._ She thought.

The dawn seemed to shimmer a bit brighter as the twosome realized their feelings, and embraced them...

_..._

_Flame and I will shoot you down. I have Writer's Block again so be nice._


End file.
